Benin – National Assembly: Democrats bring back a bill proposal to the table

Set aside for a long time after its rejection by the law commission, the initiative might resurface during the current parliamentary proceedings.

During a recent plenary session at the National Assembly, Nourénou Atchadé, president of the parliamentary group Les Démocrates, called on his colleagues from all parties and the president of the institution, Louis Vlavonou. He advocated for reviving the process:

“We have an important bill gathering dust in your drawers: the amnesty bill. Mr. President, couldn’t we dust it off and examine it together?”
he asked, according to statements reported by Banouto.

For this opposition leader, the adoption of such a law could help ease the sociopolitical climate ahead of the 2026 general elections. He also sees it as an opportunity to assist President Patrice Talon towards an honorable exit at the end of his second term:

“The head of state himself has expressed the wish to leave power with dignity. We can help him achieve this through this initiative,” emphasized Mr. Atchadé.

In a call for consensus, he invited all parliamentary groups to join this effort:

“Let’s find this text together, work on it collectively, regardless of our political allegiance, and vote on it. You will see, the entire Republic will be grateful to you.”

A Sensitive Political Issue

The question remains whether this olive branch will find a favorable response from the parliamentary majority, which is largely aligned with the presidential movement.

For the record, the amnesty bill could benefit emblematic opposition figures, such as Professor Joël Aïvo (sentenced to 10 years in prison) and former minister Reckya Madougou (sentenced to 20 years), both judged by the Court for the Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism (CRIET).

It should also be noted that President Patrice Talon does not intend to grant presidential pardon to the political figures concerned, as forgiveness can sometimes be a fault. Will the majority aligned with him work towards the release of these figures? The hand of the democrats remains extended.